Peach Marmalade with a Citrus Twist!
Add tangy orange and lemon slices to the ripest, golden peaches to create a sweet, delicious spread with layers of heavenly flavor. Foolproof and so easy, this recipe for peach marmalade makes 6-8 half pint jars. Learn to remove peach peels easily and to process the jars in a water bath for safe storage. But don’t expect them stay on the shelf very long! Serve the marmalade with biscuits or toast, or as a glaze for pork. My personal favorite way to eat marmalade is on a fresh croissant with butter…so delicious! Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 lemon
1 tbsp citric acid (or lemon juice)
1 small orange (preferably one with a thin skin)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp almond extract
1 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp salt
3 pounds ripe peaches
1 package (2 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
5 cups sugar
6-8 half pint canning jars
Preparatio
n
Cut orange and lemon in quarters and remove seeds. Cut quarter in half and then crosswise into very thin slices. Add the citrus slices, water and almond extract to a medium sauce pan. Cover and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes over low heat.
Peel the peaches. See the next module for a tutorial that explains the easiest way to remove a peach peel.
Place citric acid or lemon juice in a bowl. Remove peach pits and chop peaches finely. As you are chopping the peaches, place them in the bowl with the citric acid to prevent them from turning brown.
Add the chopped peaches to the citrus mixture and stir in the pectin. Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil. Add the sugar, butter and salt. Once again, bring the mixture to a rolling boil and allow to boil hard for two minutes.
Remove from heat and skim off any excess foam (the butter should keep the foam down.) Pour immediately into hot sterilized jars and seal.
Store in the refrigerator, or hot water process them for longer storage. See the last module in this lens for canning instructions.
A Simple Method to Peel Peaches
Ripe peaches are simple t
o peel if you blanch them first in boiling water. Bring water to a rolling boil in a pot that is deep enough so that the water can completely cover your peaches. This process can be done in batches if you don’t have a pot large enough to immerse them all at once. Dip the peaches in the boiling water for one minute. Remove peaches and quickly place them in a bowl filled with ice water. Once they have cooled, split the skins with a knife. They should slide off easily.
Make certain that your peaches are ripe or the blanching process will not be as effective in making the peels easy to remove. Unripe peaches can be ripened by placing them in a paper bag for a day or two. To speed up the ripening process, add a banana to the bag.
Water Bath Canning
To process marmalade for safe storage, start by sterilizing your equipment. Gather canning jars, lids and seals, as well as a wide-mouth funnel, a spoon or ladle, and a bubble remover (or a knife to remove bubbles from the jars.) Wash them in a dishwasher or dip them in boiling water to sterilize just prior to canning. Dry the jars and equipment with a clean towel.
When your marmalade has been prepared, immediately fill the clean canning jars to 1/2 inch from the top of the rim. Use the bubble remover or knife to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of each jar and apply rings and seals. Tighten rings to resistance, but do not over tighten them.
Fill a large pot or water bath canner half way with water and bring to a boil. Place jars into the boiling water in a canning rack. If you do not have a canning rack, place a wire rack on the bottom of your pot so that boiling water can touch all the surfaces of the jars.
Jars should be covered with at least 1 inch of water. Add additional water to the pot, if necessary. Return the water to boiling and allow jars to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the jars from the water using a jar lifter. Allow jars to cool on a cutting board.
Let the Jars Cool and Test the Seals
Once the jars have completely cooled, test the lids to make sure that they have all sealed. The lids should be concave. Press the middle of the lid with our finger. If the lid springs up when you release it, the lid is unsealed. Process unsealed jars in a water bath again, or place them in the refrigerator and use them first.
Let the jars rest, undisturbed, for a day to two in order to allow the marmalade to set up and thicken.
